The proposal to assess fines for violations of HOA rules did not pass at the annual meeting of the Lakewood Homeowners Association on April 28. The meeting drew a strong turnout of homeowners, who appeared about evenly split on the issue, and there were not enough votes in favor of passage.
Open positions on the board were filled with the election of Dave Brockman, Shawn Jamail and Rachel Upshaw. Dave and Shawn are former board members. Rachel is a current board member who has served two years.
The annual meeting of the Lakewood Homeowners’ Association is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Sunday, April 28 at the Lakewood Clubhouse. All homeowners are encouraged to attend. On the agenda is the election of three board members and a new policy to levy fines for violations of HOA rules. Read the agenda, policy and other materials here. Without fines, the board’s only recourse to enforce HOA rules has been to file lawsuits, which can be expensive as well as unnecessary for minor violations. The packet mailed to homeowners has a directed proxy (or absentee ballot) for voting on the board vacancies and the new fine policy if you cannot attend. The policy requires an affirmative vote of 67 percent of owners, or 299 “yes” votes. Barbecue and pastries will be served.
What are the best plants for Lakewood yards? What’s ideal for beds in full or partial sun and full and partial shade? Which are the most drought-tolerant?
There are lots of options. For starters, pick up the “Native and Adapted Landscape Plants Grow Green Guide” at most Austin nurseries. Another great resource is the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center plant database. Look up plants or browse by collections.
We spoke with some local experts to get their ideas. Here are suggestions for sunny areas:
For shade or partial shade:
Others include bicolor iris, columbine, dianthus, elephant ear, flax lily, hosta, ice plant, liriope, ajuga, silver leaf palm, Texas palmetto and skull cap.
Need a small tree? These can do well in sun or shade.
Roses? If you love roses but don’t always feel like they love you, “knockout” roses are among the easiest to grow in our area. The large bushes at the Lakewood entrance are Double Knock Out Roses.
Some the most resilient plants require the least maintenance, even in Austin’s brutal summer heat and even winter extremes. They include:
These survived for years in Lakewood beds, until Winter Storm Uri came along. But Uri was an extremely unusual event, and rosemary replanted since that 2021 freeze has done fine.
Others are red buckeye, sedge, dwarf palmetto, Mexican oregano, big muhly grass and sotol.
Several ornamental grasses are fairly drought tolerant and survived Uri. Each can grow about 3 feet over the summer. It’s best to crop some grasses back to near-ground level in January or February.
This is by no means a comprehensive list, but it’s meant as a start. What do you recommend?
Lakewood’s communitywide spring garage sale returns Saturday, May 18. This is the date for Lakewood residents to hold their own garage sales at their homes.
This year, the HOA will provide a list of addresses where garage sales are being held.
Are you planning to have a garage sale at your house? Please email your address to the HOA office at hoa@lakewoodhoa.com by noon Friday, May 3 (or drop it in the door slot on the office door).
If you’d like, please include one line describing what you have for sale. As the sale date nears, the office will make a list available of addresses where sales will be held. You don’t need to give your name. The list will be available on Facebook, the website and the next newsletter, which is scheduled for April.
January 31 is the deadline to pay Lakewood Homeowner Association fees and receive a 5 percent discount.
Lakewood’s dues, which increased 5 percent this year to keep up with expenses, remain among the lowest of homeowners’ associations in the area. Other HOAs charge similar amounts for dues but have fewer common areas to maintain such as the pool, tennis courts, park land and open areas.
“The HOA board has worked hard to maintain our community with the amenities that everyone enjoys,” said Keith McGill, chair of the Lakewood HOA board. “The dues help ensure that our HOA has adequate funds to provide everyone in Lakewood with the features that people expect.”
This year homeowners also were sent a statement from Truist Bank that gives options for paying your dues online, through an automatic draft or with a credit card. If you do not want to use the Truist Bank options, you may send your payment directly to the HOA office or drop your fee into the clubhouse drop slot at 7317 Lakewood Drive. The HOA office mailing address is P.O. Box 27674, Austin, Texas 78755. Call the office with any questions at 512-345-8367. Find more information here.
Austin Lakewood HOA 